"Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first." - Ronald Reagan

I was in a meeting yesterday. As the topic veered away from relevance, I pulled up the New York Times and read that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer had been outed as having used the services of a prostitute.

For a generic politician, such a scandal would be difficult to survive. For Spitzer, it will be fatal. The story arc of his career is that of high-minded reformer, battling corruption and crime, including his now-ironic busting of organized prostitution rings.

It's a war one can only wage from the moral high ground, which he has now lost. His detractors couldn't have asked for better ammunition. The hypocrisy is clear. Piled on top of his already tumultuous time in Albany, he's been defanged and can't be an effective governor.

It's a sad reminder that even the best of us are human. I had admired Spitzer and his moral crusading. This is a wholly unfitting end to that crusade. Though it might be naive to be surprised over being disappointed by a politician, this scandal is a bit more disheartening than most.